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SkyClan's Destiny/Chapter 24
Chapter description :Leafstar greets Snookpaw as he pads down the trail behind Billystorm. A few sunrises had passed since the Twoleg nest raid, but Leafstar is still aware of tension within the Clan. The cats mill around her, where she stands at the foot of the Rockpile with Sharpclaw. The deputy orders Ebonyclaw to lead a hunting patrol with Frecklepaw, Bouncefire, and Sparrowpelt. Leafstar is surprised that Sharpclaw put a daylight-warrior at the head of a patrol, then wonders if he had a hidden motive, since Sparrowpelt is one of the Clan's best hunters, and is also critical of the kittypets. Leafstar frets that Sharpclaw hopes that Ebonyclaw will fail and Sparrowpelt will take over. :Snookpaw is happy to be back, and says that he really missed the Clan. Leafstar dips her head and says they missed him too, and asks if he's alright. Snookpaw says he's fine, but then coughs. Leafstar looks at him, alarmed, but he assures her that he's really fine, and can't wait to start training again. He adds that he can’t stay all day, though, as his housefolk would then be worried. Leafstar feels a sudden pang when she sees the love and respect for his Twolegs in his eyes, and she wonders what it would be like to live with a housefolk. Snookpaw goes to join Billystorm. :As the patrols leave, Leafstar sees Fallowfern's kits stalk up to Clovertail, who is sleeping near the stream. Nettlekit squeals that she’s a huge Twoleg, and that they must scare him off. Plumkit announces that she wants to be Sharpclaw and lead the attack. Rabbitkit protests that he want to be the deputy, so Plumkit decides to be Cora. Creekkit announces that he’ll be Stick, and asks Nettlekit who he will be. Nettlekit chooses to be Billystorm, who know lots about fighting, but Plumkit argues that he can't be Billystorm, as the ginger-and-white tom is not a real warrior, and Rabbitkit and Creekkit agree. Leafstar listens in alarm, wondering if the kits forgot how much Billystorm taught them. She worries if even the kits picked up the tension between daylight-warriors and full Clan cats. Nettlekit is insistent on being Billystorm, but Plumkit refuses to let him play with them if he will be Billystorm. Nettlekit briefly watches his littermates play, then decides to be Sparrowpelt, and joins his siblings. :As Leafstar watches, she turns to see Billystorm, and is embarrassed that he must have heard every word the kits said. Leafstar apologizes, but the daylight-warrior shrugs and murmurs that they were right, as he wasn't part of the raid. Leafstar winces, and is relieved when he only says that he’s leading a hunting patrol. He adds that Sharpclaw thought she’d want to join him, Snookpaw, and Cherrytail. Leafstar agrees that would be great, excited to hunt with Billystorm and the others. There is a startled screech from Clovertail as the kits pounce , but Leafstar leaves Fallowfern to save her denmate, and follows Billystorm up the trail, with Snookpaw and Cherrytail bringing up the rear. :Cherrytail tells Snookpaw that he can't hunt birds the same way as squirrels. Snookpaw argues that they both hide in trees, so leaping up and stalking along the branches works for both. Cherrytail reluctantly agrees, then adds that he should be really careful when jumping on them. Leafstar leaves them to debate, and catches up to Billystorm. She apologizes about the raid, and promises that it won't happen again, but Billystorm interrupts that he understands why they did it, and that he isn't angry. He pauses to taste the air for prey, and then adds that he knows the daylight-warriors are in an odd position, and that perhaps the time to make a choice is coming. Leafstar is suddenly nervous, and quietly asks which he would choose. Billystorm sighs that it is difficult, since he loves his kind housefolk, and he knows they make his life much easier that it would be if he lived in the Clan all the time. He takes a deep breath and looks at Leafstar, murmuring that he still couldn't leave her. The SkyClan leader's heart beats faster, and she breathes that she wouldn't want him to. Her muzzle touches Billystorm's, and their tails twine, when Cherrytail yowls, to stop. :Leafstar and Billystorm spring away, and Billystorm's eyes are startled and his fur fluffs up defensively. Leafstar sees Cherrytail with her back to them and the tortoiseshell she-cat is talking to vaguely familiar a cream-colored tom -the cat they'd watched hunting near the border. He is crouched in the shade of a bush, and Snookpaw demands why he is in their territory. The tom flattens his ears, and Leafstar orders the apprentice to back off a bit. However, she adds to the tom he turned down the chance to join SkyClan, and must now stay out of their territory. The loner ducks his head and meows that he changed his mind, and would like to join the Clan if they'll have him, and introduces himself as Egg. Billystorm pads up to him and asks why he changed his mind, and Egg blinks rapidly, as if unsure how to answer the question. Leafstar tells him that the offer still stands if he can prove his loyalty to SkyClan. Egg replies that he can, and asks to start now. Leafstar turns to Billystorm, requesting him to take the hunting patrol from there, while she takes Egg back to camp. Billystorm looks uneasily at Egg, and offers to come with her. Leafstar is pleased at the thought that Billystorm wants to protect her, then reminds herself that she is Clan leader and doesn’t need protecting, and turns down the offer though she adds that maybe they could hunt together another time. Cherrytail and Snookpaw stare wide-eyed at her in amazement, and, embarrassed, Leafstar quickly orders Egg to come with a whisk of her tail, and the two head toward camp. :As they head down the gorge, Leafstar notices that Egg is very jumpy and nervous, and she asks why he changed his mind to join them. He stammers that seemed logical. At that moment, they arrive at the top of the trail. The loner follows Leafstar down the trail, and the leader his interest at the activity in camp. Tangle and Lichenfur wash themselves on a rock; Tinycloud and Rockshade place prey on the fresh-kill pile, and other cats crowd around Sharpclaw as he sorts out more patrols. By the time the two cats reach the bottom of the gorge, Sharpclaw is heading toward the training area with their apprentices. Leafstar announces that Egg decided to join SkyClan, and introduces him to the deputy. Egg dips his head and Sharpclaw warmly welcomes him, offering Egg to come do battle training with them. Egg's enthusiastically agrees, and Sharpclaw leads the way up the gorge. Leafstar is about to follow, when her deputy tells her they'll be fine. Leafstar first bristles, and then she figures that her deputy wouldn't want her always watching him. She figures that she'll ask Sharpclaw to mentor Egg, since although Egg is over six moons old, e needs to go through an apprenticeship to learn all the ways of the Clan. In spite of a spatter of rain, she feels warm and happy to have such a promising new addition to SkyClan, especially one with the skills of the old Clan. Leafstar watches the elders fluff their fur against the rain and snatch a piece of fresh-kill before going back to their den; Echosong returns with a mouthful of herbs; and Fallowfern's kits protest as their mother tries to herd them back to the nursery. She notes that everything would be perfect if Billystorm decided to live here all the time. Characters Major *Billystorm }} Minor *Sharpclaw *Clovertail *Nettlekit *Plumkit *Rabbitkit *Creekkit *Fallowfern *Cherrytail *Egg *Lichenfur *Tangle *Petalnose *Waspwhisker *Tinycloud *Rockshade *Sagepaw (Unnamed) *Mintpaw (Unnamed) }} Mentioned *Frecklepaw *Bouncefire *Sparrowpelt *Cora *Stick }} Errors :Billystorm is mentioned with amber eyes twice. Notes and references Category:SkyClan's Destiny Category:Chapter subpages Category:Super Edition arc